1John 5:4, “For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith”

The battle every believer faces is the world, the flesh and the devil. And the more you walk with the Lord the more the battle intensifies and the more you ought to crave to be an overcomer. If you are born of God, your walk with the Lord will continue to reveal things you are vulnerable to, things you may have never thought to be sin and conviction will bring you to your knees. Why?, because the more you walk with the Lord, the more His righteousness is revealed and the more you see yourself in your true state leaving you helpless in need of God’s power to overcome. Who in their right mind wants to live a defeated life? I don’t, I want to live a victorious life under the power of God present.

Romans 1:17, tells us, “For in it (the gospel) the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.” Right after verse 16 which talks about the gospel of Christ as the power of God unto salvation, Paul highlights what the power of God through the gospel does, in it is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith. The same power that saved us, is the same power that ought to keep us. 1John 5:4, say those who are saved, born of God should have the power to overcome the world, the flesh and the devil. To overcome, you got to have a battle before you and the power over it.

The saving faith is the first characteristic of an overcomer, born of God. The second is Love, 1John 5:2, “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments”, a person who is an overcomer, a victor, a conqueror, a winner is one who keeps God’s commandments because the Spirit of God is at work in him. Not out of obligation or fear of punishment but out of love, it demonstrates what a changed life looks like. An overcomer is one who is craving for righteousness Matthew 5:6, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled”, what you feed the most is what overcomes. You feed the spirit, fuel the spirit you overcome. Such a person understands that it’s not by might, nor by power but by the Spirit of God. We could not do it while were in the world ourselves, how can we do it in Christ without His help?

2Timothy 1:7, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind”. When we love God we overcome fear because of His power within us. Fear is an enemy of faith that must be conquered. Romans 8:37, says “Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”. We overcome (conquer) when we love our brothers and loving our brothers would mean not stealing from them, lust after them, murder with words, jealousy, stinginess, coveting, dishonoring etc., these are the things we battle daily while serving the Lord we must overcome to live a victorious life. How many even battle honoring their spouses or loving their children? I believe one true test of an overcomer is one who is faithful to his spouse in word, in conduct and in thoughts. It’s amazing how we can be nice to people out there and be nasty at home to our loved ones. The ones at home are the ones the Lord uses to bring about things in us that need to be conquered. An overcomer lives a life pleasing to the Lord before his family and by your own strength it’s impossible.

We ought to continue to have victory day by day while battling and overcoming what is set before us. What you don’t battle and overcome will come back to haunt you, to quote Shaka Zulu from a movie, “Never leave an enemy behind or it will rise again to fly at your throat“, the enemy must be defeated by all means and the power of God in us is what we need.

I want to say no to lust, no to pride, no to jealousy, no to fear, no to doubt, by fueling the fire of righteousness that has power to overcome the power of sin, and it begins by faith that it can be done. My obedience is required, “…And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith“. Are you living in victory? Crave for righteousness, pray like crazy, stand firm and overcome the enemy of our souls. It’s not by might, nor by power but by His Spirit says the Lord. Blessings Ev